Accessing a Virtual Server

We recommend accessing your servers via SSH (Secure Shell) for Linux and RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) for Windows. We also have our Control Panel Console available for most servers.

Linux Servers – SSH

SSH is enabled by default on servers provisioned with us, and we highly recommend using it if you are experienced with managing Linux servers. We also recommend securing your server by disabling password based authentication and instead using SSH Keys where possible.

SSH from Apple MacOS & Linux

1. Open a standard terminal window (Applications » Utilities » Terminal on Mac) and run the following command, inserting your username and website address – ssh yourusername@your-domain.co.nz
2. If you are asked to confirm the authenticity of the server check the IP Address is for the server in your account and if so type yes.
3. Enter your SSH User password or SSH Key password when prompted. If you are using SSH Key based authentication this may not be required.
4. You should now be logged into your server.

SSH from Windows

You will need to download and install an SSH client, software that allows you to use SSH. PuTTY is a common choice and the following instructions will get you started:

1. Download PuTTY (look for putty.exe). Download the file to a location where it will be easy to locate and run.
2. Double-click the PuTTY icon to open the application.
3. When the main application screen opens enter your servers IP number or address into the "Host Name (or IP Address)" box.
4. If this is the first time using PuTTY to access your server you will be presented with a Security Alert, basically asking you to verify you want to access this unknown server. Click "Yes".
5. At the login screen type your username and password and click enter.
6. You should now be logged into your server.

Windows Servers – RDP

The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is the proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft for accessing another computer remotely. It is typically faster than the Control Panel Console but your experience can still be affected by connection latency.

To connect to your server using the Remote Desktop Protocol, you will require a Remote Desktop client such as the official one provided by Microsoft for both Windows and OS X and to follow their setup steps.

Linux & Windows – Control Panel Console

The Console is a browser-based console available from within our Control Panel. It is a reliable way of accessing your server and can be used to watch the server while it is booting up or performing recovery tasks. The Console is available for both Linux and Windows servers, but please note that some custom or older installs may not be supported.

To access this tool go to the server detail page inside the Servers module and click on Console in the sub-menu. We recommend using a modern web browser with JavaScript enabled.